Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Saturday he will travel to the United States in two weeks for a meeting with President Donald Trump, aligning his visit with the inaugural leaders' gathering of the newly formed Board of Peace.
Orban announced the trip on social media through his political director, Balazs Orban, and later said in a speech that he received the invitation Friday to attend the first meeting of the Board of Peace, a U.S.-backed platform aimed at international conflict resolution, Hungarian Conservative reported Saturday.
Orban's planned trip comes days after Trump issued a fresh endorsement of the Hungarian leader ahead of Hungary's closely watched April parliamentary vote.
In an endorsement posted Thursday on Truth Social, Trump praised Orban's record on border security, economic growth and national sovereignty, themes that have made Orban a favorite among many conservatives in Europe and the United States.
"Highly Respected Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, is a truly strong and powerful Leader, with a proven track record of delivering phenomenal results," Trump wrote. "He fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, just like I do for the United States of America."
The endorsement echoed Trump's earlier backing of Orban in 2022 and signaled a continued political alignment between the two leaders as Washington expands the Board of Peace initiative abroad.
Hungary joined the Board of Peace as a founding member on Jan. 22 during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
Orban said at the time the decision reflected Budapest's interest in stability.
"Hungary is among the founding countries because Hungary needs peace in order to continue to grow and develop," he said.
Balazs Orban praised the initiative as "one of the first institutions of the new world order."
In a social media post, he said Hungary will not be a "victim" of shifting global dynamics but a "shaper" of them, adding that Hungary intends to take part in initiatives that prevent war and strengthen security for nations and families.
The White House is preparing to convene the Board of Peace's first leaders meeting on Feb. 19 at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C.
Discussions are expected to focus on advancing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and mobilizing international funding for reconstruction in the war-ravaged territory.
The gathering is also expected to serve as a donor conference and could coincide with a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day earlier.
It remains unclear whether Trump and Orban will hold separate bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Board of Peace Forum meeting.
Orban recently said in a panel discussion that Trump "should be expected" to visit Hungary in the near future, calling him the kind of leader the world could "expect many good things" from.
The United States has sent invitations to more than 50 countries to join the Board of Peace, including European states, China and Russia.
So far, the platform consists of 26 member states in addition to the United States. Several Western European countries rejected the invitation, while Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would study the proposal before deciding.
China said it remains committed to a United Nations-based world order and declined to join the board.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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